Item 005 - ARR Operations and Administrative Projects Update — original pdf

Backup

To: From: Date: Zero Waste Advisory Commission Wendy Riggins, Assistant Director, Austin Resource Recovery August 19, 2026 Subject: Director’s Monthly Report to the Zero Waste Advisory Commission Annual Shopping Cart Corral On August 29th, from 8 to 10 a.m., Austin Watershed Protection, Shoal Creek Conservancy, and volunteers will convene at several locations across the watershed to remove hard-to-reach shopping carts from the creek. For several years Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has partnered with Shoal Creek Conservancy during their annual Shopping Cart Corral. During last year’s event in July 2025, ARR collected 3,340 pounds of debris from seven (7) sites. This volunteer event helps remove and prevent material from entering area creeks. Collected recyclables are also diverted from disposal at area landfills whenever possible. For example, shopping carts that cannot be returned to retailers are recycled through a third-party contractor that strips off plastics and rubber wheels, then melts down the metal to form new steel products. Old tires are shredded and turned into playground and recreational surfaces or repurposed for community projects. These efforts continue to increase our zero waste goals. Circular Economy: Connect and Share (District 1) On September 2, a full day, free annual summit for Austin entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and business leaders working to build a more circular economy will be held at 1520 Rutherford Lane. Attendees can expect to work with peers to develop new solutions to incorporate the circular economy into business models. The event will also feature a panel of local circular business leaders on how they incorporate community building into their business models. Register and get more info at https://www.austintexas.gov/resource-recovery/events/circular- connect-and-share September 19: Fix-It Clinic (District 1) A Fix-It Clinic will be held on September 19 at the Robert Turner Recreation Center from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can bring broken household items and learn to fix them with guidance from skilled coaches. There will be a drop-off period the week leading up to the clinic, for those who need something fixed but are unable to attend the event. Learn more, volunteer or register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/september-2026-fix-it- clinic-tickets-1994021426765 MoveOutATX 2026 Recap (District 9) MoveOutATX took place July 25-31, 2026. This event, a partnership between Austin Resource Recovery and the University of Texas at Austin, sets up temporary donation stations to help students living off-campus keep gently used items out of the landfill during the end-of-July move-out period. The event had 4 donation stations in the West Campus area. The City collaborated with five reuse organizations to collect, process, and redistribute all the donated materials: Austin Area Urban League, Austin Creative Reuse, Arms of Hope, JOSCO Products, Salvation Army Family Stores, and UT Outpost. Donated furniture was made available for the public to take free for free on July 26 and 27. All other furniture collected at donations stations was taken to the City's new Reuse Warehouse. Over one thousand donations were dropped off at donation stations in West Campus. 305 pieces of furniture were re-homed from the furniture market. Over 600 pieces of furniture were stocked at the Reuse Warehouse. Dog’s Head Development Impact on Austin Resource Recovery Austin City Council approved an agreement to develop a tract of land known as the Dog’s Head. Because this land was annexed into the City of Austin, the agreement includes reference to clean community services. Upon submittal of the first building permit, the parties will discuss when and how the City will provide solid waste and clean community services. Austin Public Library Relaunches Tool Library Program This August, Austin Public Library relaunched a revamped Tool Library program. It will look and work differently than before in an effort to help improve access to these resources for all communities in Austin. What's New in the Relaunch? • • • • To see what tools are available and place holds on items, visit the Austin Public Library Catalog. Tools will check out for 21 days but are not renewable. Tools can be returned at any location, preferably at the circulation desk, not to book drops. Tools available for customer pick-up will be kept behind the circ desk. Customers must sign a waiver the first time they check out a tool. ARR Solicitation Updates As of August 5, 2026 ZWAC Meeting August 19, 2026  Preparing for Council: • N/A  Published: • Multiple Material Rate Studies: Consultant to provide a community wide Capture Rate Study, Per Capita Disposal Rate Study, and a combined Diversion Rate and Waste Characterization Study. The Studies will reveal the effectiveness of the City’s collection programs and assist to better understand consumer behavior to assist the City in improving its waste diversion programs. No current contract • Refurbish Trash and Recycling Receptacles in the Central Business District: Contractor to provide services to refurbish public Receptacles used for trash and recycling collection. Link to current contract  Expected to be Published Within 90 days: • Education, Clean up and Beautification Service: Contractors to provide education, cleanup, beautification, and restoration services benefiting the public through a variety of programs and resources that inspire effective environmental stewardship among residents and improve Austin's environment and aesthetics. Link to current contract Definitions: CCO CO-OP (Capital Contracting Office): Administers the procurement of professional and construction services. (Cooperative Contract): A contract that has been competitively bid and issued by another government or purchasing alliance with the intention of sharing it with other governmental entities. (Interlocal Agreement): A collaborative contract between local government entities (for example, ARR and a county, state, or school district) to provide more efficient and less costly services, where any payments are made from current revenues. (Invitation for Bid): Formal bidding documents inviting suppliers to submit pricing for goods or services. (Request for Information): Used to obtain industry input, feedback, or reactions from potential suppliers prior to issuing a solicitation. RFQ (Request for Quotation): Informal request to suppliers to provide quotes on specific goods or services. (Request for Qualifications): Formal solicitation used when qualifications are the main criteria for professional services. (Request for Proposals): Formal request for a supplier to provide a solution and cost estimate to a complex need. ILA IFB RFI RFQS RFP Page 1 of 1 FY26 YTD (Oct 25-Jun 26) 102,762 5,695 347 FY 2026 Goal 136,579 8,874 389 6,398 11,095 Austin Resource Recovery Curbside Collection and Drop Off Center Operations LAST FISCAL YEAR-FY25 CURRENT FISCAL YEAR-FY26 Description of Services FY2024 FY2025 May 2025 Jun 2025 FY25 YTD (Oct 24-Jun 25) May 2026 Jun 2026 d e s o p s D s n o T i Tons of Curbside Trash Tons of Curbside Bulk Disposed HHW Operations Tons Disposed Estimated Tons of Curbside Recycling Residuals (1) Total Disposed Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations 136,713 9,366 484 10,610 138,105 5,993 452 9,963 11,663 531 46 829 13,507 520 41 775 104,417 4,312 329 7,721 11,296 864 34 699 11,976 843 41 659 157,173 154,514 13,069 14,843 116,779 12,893 13,519 115,202 156,937 (1) Estimated tons of curbside recycling processed by vendors as residual - based on bi-annual sample route audit Total Tons of Recyclables Collected RRC Tons Recycled/Reused RRC Tons of Brush Collected HHW Operations Tons Recycled/Reused 42,315 1,811 0 344 40,094 1,835 0 388 Tons of Drop Off Center Collections Recycled/Reused 1,948 1,951 Tons of Curbside Compost Collected Tons of Curbside Bulk Recycled Tons of Curbside Brush Collected Tons of Curbside Textiles Collected Tons of Carts Recycled 42,716 206 6,713 46 177 38,971 272 9,357 42 221 i d e t r e v D s n o T 3,426 3,295 30,357 3,364 3,492 31,321 35,829 190 0 32 183 3,599 39 375 4 17 163 0 36 175 3,314 25 5,847 4 16 1,316 0 284 1,404 32,950 196 8,407 32 164 116 0 20 97 3,598 39 643 3 10 176 0 43 181 3,260 39 590 5 0 1,346 0 280 1,900 0 325 1,412 1,957 31,601 214 3,856 27 110 43,199 268 6,349 46 185 Total Diverted Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Total Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Estimated Percent of Curbside Collected Materials Diverted from Landfills by ARR 94,122 90,908 7,644 12,675 73,509 7,754 7,566 68,541 87,833 251,294 245,422 20,713 27,518 190,288 20,648 21,085 183,743 244,770 37.04% 36.61% 36.42% 45.79% 38.24% 37.32% 35.40% 36.89% 38.00% Pounds of Trash Collected per Customer per Pickup 24.39 25.16 24.73 34.61 25.27 23.93 25.34 24.40 23.91 Number of Trash and Recycling Customers 215,723 211,313 217,838 180,276 212,024 217,986 218,288 215,952 219,720 Pounds of Recycled Materials Collected per Customer per Pickup (every other week) Pounds of Curbside Compost Collected per Customer per Week 15.19 14.70 14.62 16.98 14.79 14.37 14.90 14.99 12.63 7.67 7.14 7.68 8.54 8.03 7.69 6.95 7.56 7.61 Number of Curbside Compost Customers 214,366 209,968 216,444 179,253 210,717 216,249 216,525 214,293 218,266 Total Tons of Dead Animals Collected from COA Rights-of-Way and the Animal Shelter 55 73 7 8 54 5 4 49 59 Austin Resource Recovery Curbside Collection and Drop Off Center Operations 27,518 20,713 20,648 21,085 7,644 0 7,754 7,566 12,675 May 2025 Jun 2025 May 2026 Jun 2026 Total Diverted Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Total Tons Collected Curbside and from Drop Off Center Operations Estimated Percent of Curbside Collected Materials Diverted from Landfills by ARR 0 0 37% 35% 37% 38% 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% May 2026 Jun 2026 FY26 YTD (Oct 25-Jun 26) FY 2026 Goal Category of Waste Generation Residential Waste Diversion (city serviced accounts) Community Diversion Rate Reporting Status and Diversion Results for All Categories of Waste Generation 2020-21 Actual 41.96% * 2021-22 Actual 38.32% * 2022-23 Actual 63.42% * 2023-24 Actual 37.04% * 2024-25 Goal 38.00% * 2024-25 Current 36.89% * *As prescribed in the (1) 2023 Austin Resource Recovery Comprehensive Plan, the Department shall conduct a detailed waste assessment study every five years to determine progress toward our Zero Waste goal. This plan is an update to the (2) 2011 Master Plan (see link below).The first such study was published in (3) 2015, titled Austin’s 2015 Community Diversion Study (see link below). The study focused on estimating diversion from both ARR-serviced properties and commercial properties. Commercial properties include retail businesses, food service establishments, professional offices, industrial properties, institutional facilities, government facilities and multifamily properties five units and larger. According to Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study, Residential Waste Diversion Rate (City-serviced accounts) represents approximately 15% and the Community Diversion Rate (accounts serviced by private waste haulers) represents approximately 85% of the total citywide. (1) 2023 Austin Recovery Comprehensive Plan (2) 2011 Master Plan (3) Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study Residential Waste Diversion (City-serviced accounts) 63.42% 41.96% 38.32% 37.04% 38.00% 36.89% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% 2020-21 Actual 2021-22 Actual 2022-23 Actual 2023-24 Actual 2024-25 Goal 2024-25 Current Category of Waste Generation Commercial Tons Landfilled** Commercial Tons Recycled** Commercial Organics Tons** CY22 1,358,344 454,031 87,896 CY23 897,211 343,834 87,279 CY24 1,277,232 586,600 57,046 ** Numbers reported here are compiled from self-reported data submitted by licensed private waste haulers via semi-annual tonnage reports required under Section 15-6-3 of the City Code on a calendar year basis and as such, ARR does not attest to the accuracy of these amounts. These numbers reflect data from 100-200 licensed haulers (number of haulers varies over time), and include haulers servicing dumpsters, roll-offs, construction and demolition debris, landscaping debris, and metal scrap. These numbers do not reflect all data sources included in Austin's 2015 Community Diversion Study. Zero Waste Advisory Commission Meeting - August 2026 Single Stream Recycling Statistical Report FY26: October thru June Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) and Balcones Resources, Inc. (BRI) Month and Year Contractor Tons Delivered Contractor Payments Net Value to the City Landfill Cost Avoidance Revenue Processing Cost Net Value Net Amount * Due/(Owed) $ per ton value Cost Per Ton Total October 2025 November 2025 December 2025 January 2026 February 2026 March 2026 April 2026 May 2026 June 2026 July 2026 1,672.37 2,392.88 $4,065 1,566.17 2,132.32 3,698.49 2,080.32 2,422.34 4,502.66 1,714.82 2,673.99 4,388.81 1,835.61 1,846.81 3,682.42 2,117.57 1,926.51 4,044.08 1,739.69 2,414.69 4,154.38 2,074.25 1,988.75 4,063.00 2,605.76 1,545.44 4,151.20 TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total TDS BRI Total 0.00 August 2026 TDS BRI Total 0.00 September 2026 TDS BRI Total 0.00 19,175.46 175,434.72 $194,610 83,618.50 234,502.39 $318,121 ($64,443.04) ($59,067.67) ($123,511) ($64,443.04) ($59,067.67) ($123,511) ($38.53) ($24.68) $28.90 $28.90 ($38.76) ($19.52) $28.90 $28.90 ($36.03) ($14.86) $28.90 $28.90 ($36.00) ($9.80) $28.90 $28.90 ($35.44) ($4.21) $28.90 $28.90 ($34.44) ($3.25) $28.90 $28.90 ($33.47) $0.33 $28.90 $28.90 ($32.14) $2.12 $28.90 $28.90 ($35.17) $3.08 $29.93 $29.93 $17,597 $167,354 $184,952 $29,061 $201,397 $230,458 $24,016 $235,835 $259,850 $26,718 $173,113 $199,831 $32,942 $182,543 $215,485 $28,758 $237,708 $266,466 $37,053 $200,532 $237,585 $38,653 $157,795 $196,447 $0 $0 $0 $78,309 $208,967 $287,275 $104,016 $237,389 $341,405 $85,741 $262,051 $347,792 $91,781 $180,897 $272,678 $105,879 $188,798 $294,676 $86,985 $236,639 $323,624 $103,713 $194,898 $298,610 $130,288 $151,453 $281,741 $0 $0 $0 ($60,711) ($41,613) ($102,324) ($74,955) ($35,992) ($110,947) ($61,725) ($26,216) ($87,942) ($65,062) ($7,784) ($72,846) ($72,936) ($6,255) ($79,191) ($58,227) $1,069 ($57,157) ($66,659) $5,634 ($61,025) ($91,635) $6,342 ($85,294) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 ($60,711) ($41,613) ($102,324) ($74,955) ($35,992) ($110,947) ($61,725) ($26,216) ($87,942) ($65,062) ($7,784) ($72,846) ($72,936) ($6,255) ($79,191) ($58,227) $802 ($57,425) ($66,659) $4,226 ($62,434) ($91,635) $4,756 ($86,879) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $48,331 $69,154 $117,486 $45,262 $61,624 $106,886 $60,121 $70,006 $130,127 $49,558 $77,278 $126,837 $53,049 $53,373 $106,422 $61,198 $55,676 $116,874 $50,277 $69,785 $120,062 $59,946 $57,475 $117,421 $77,990 $46,255 $124,245 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 FY26 Totals 36,750.29 $1,985,685 $2,765,922 ($780,236) ($783,498) $1,066,359